Country’s ‘true independence’ established on Ram temple consecration day: Bhagwat

PTI, Jan 14, 2025, 8:33 AM IST

Indore: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said the date of Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya should be celebrated as “Pratishtha Dwadashi”, as the “true independence” of Bharat, which faced “parachakra” (enemy attack) for several centuries, was established on this day.

After India got political independence from the British on August 15, 1947, a written Constitution was made according to the path shown by that specific vision, which comes out of the “self” of the country, but the document was not run according to the spirit of the vision at that time, Bhagwat said on Monday.

According to the Hindu calendar, the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya took place on Dwadashi of ‘Shukla Paksha’ of the Paush month last year. The date in the Gregorian calendar was January 22, 2024. This year, the Paush Shukla Paksha Dwadashi fell on January 11.

Bhagwat asserted that the Ram temple movement was not started to oppose anyone.

This movement was started to awaken the “self” (swa) of Bharat so that the country could stand on its own feet and show the path to the world, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief said.

He was speaking after presenting the ‘National Devi Ahilya Award’ to Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, in Indore.

Two days after the first anniversary of the consecration of the Ram Temple, the RSS chief said the date should be celebrated as “Pratishtha Dwadashi” as the true independence of India, which had faced “parachakra” (enemy attack) for several centuries, was established on this day.

Bhagwat pointed out there was no discord in the country during the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya and people witnessed the event with a “pure mind”.

The ideals and life values presented by Lord Ram, Krishna and Shiva are included in the “self of India” and it is not at all that these are the Gods of only those people who worship them, he said.

Bhagwat said the invaders destroyed temples of the country so that the “self” of India also perishes.

He said the Ram Mandir movement lasted so long because some forces did not want a temple to be built at the birthplace of Lord Ram.

The Sangh chief mentioned about a meeting with former President Pranab Mukherjee at a time when the issue of ‘Ghar Wapsi’ (return of converted people to their original religion) figured in Parliament.

“During this meeting, Mukherjee told me that the Constitution of India is the most secular Constitution in the world and in such a situation what right does the world have to teach us secularism,” Bhagwat said.

Mukherjee also pointed out that “5,000 years of Indian tradition has taught us secularism,” he added.

According to Bhagwat, the 5,000-year-old Indian tradition that Mukherjee was referring to during his meeting with him started with Lord Ram, Krishna and Shiva.

He said during the Ram Mandir movement in the 1980s, some people used to ask him the “standard question” — as to “why is the issue of the temple being raised leaving aside the concern for the livelihood of the people? Bhagwat said, “I used to ask those people that despite talking about socialism after independence in 1947, giving slogans of ‘Garibi Hatao’ (eradicate poverty) and worrying about people’s livelihood all the time, where did India stand in the 1980s and where have countries like Israel and Japan reached?” The RSS chief said he used to tell these people that “India’s livelihood path goes through the entrance of Ram temple and they should keep this in mind.” After receiving the award, Rai dedicated the honour to all the known and unknown people of the Ram Mandir movement who helped in building the grand Ram temple in the Uttar Pradesh town.

Referring to different phases of struggles faced by the movement, Rai said the temple was a symbol of “Hindustan ki Moonchh (moustache)” (the national pride) and he was just a medium for its construction.

The prestigious award is given every year by the Indore-based social organisation, Shri Ahilyotsav Samiti, to prominent persons in recognition of their contribution in different social spheres.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan is the president of the organisation.

Addressing the gathering, Mahajan said a grand memorial dedicated to Devi Ahilyabai, the iconic ruler of the former Holkar dynasty of Indore, will be built in the city so that people become familiar with her life character.

Over the years, the National Devi Ahilya Award has been given to well-known personalities like Nanaji Deshmukh, Vijaya Raje Scindia, Raghunath Anant Mashelkar and Sudha Murty.